From a radio documentary called Socks for the Homeless, David Ferguson learned that homeless people don’t get to change socks a lot and that their feet are often wet, which makes them vulnerable to fungal infections and ulcers; these conditions, he learned, can lead to nerve damage and other permanent problems.

CBC Radio One’s The Sunday Edition documentary in early 2013 said there is always a demand for socks at shelters, but that they are rarely donated. (Same with underwear.) Ferguson decided to try to help.

The following year the chef-owner of Restaurant Gus in Petite-Patrie organized a sock drive for the homeless; he called it Bas pour Bulles, or Socks for Bubbly: For a week in November, whoever brought in a new pair of socks to Gus or any of the neighbourhood establishments to which he’d reached out got a glass of bubbly — gratis. He also put together a special fundraising dinner at Gus; every cent that came in went toward the purchase of socks.

More than 5,000 pairs of socks were collected or bought in that first drive. Some people donated bags of socks, or drove into town from Laval or Repentigny. Not everyone even asked for the free bubbly, Ferguson said: They were just pleased to be doing something that made a difference. The 2015 and 2016 editions of Socks for Bubbly were even bigger.

Until Nov. 26, all 15 places are offering a glass of bubbly for every contribution of new socks; there will be place to deposit the socks in each. The Old Brewery Mission in Montreal and the Scott Mission in Toronto will distribute the socks.

A fundraising dinner for Socks for Bubbly will be held Nov. 21 at Gus. Cost for is $100 for a four-course meal with wine. The money will go toward the purchase of socks. Places are still available for the 8:30 p.m. seating. Reserve at 514-722-2175.

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